Sliding door track



March 17, 1959 G. A. vloLA, JR

sLIDING nooR TRACK Filed Sept. 30. 1957 rroRNsY mvsNToR. GnaeRT A. V|oLA, JR.

1.1.1 lllllxllllll United States Patent 0 This invention relates .to trackways for ithef sliding reception of overlapping panels, such as glass'fpanelsand with the device being primarily designed for vusemin supportingthe panels employedto coverythegopening of medicine cabinets or the like.

The invention contemplates a nov'el form of extruded plastic trackways and with-each trackway embodying a pair of upper guide channels and a pair of lower guide channels and with the trackway adapted to be frictionally supported within stamped or otherwise formed grooves formed around the forward side of the cabinet and with the trackways being reversible to accommodate the upper and lower edges of the panels.

It is further contemplated, that the upper channels shall be provided with longitudinally extending beads whereby to minimize the frictional sliding support of the panels.

The invention further contemplates the novel form of trackway that is engageable within vertical end grooves of the cabinet with the trackways at each end of the cabinet being in opposed relation for receiving the vertical edges of the panel.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partially in section illustrating the invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on line 2 2 of Figure 1 and,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the track section.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a cabinet construction, preferably of sheet metal'. The cabinet is shaped around its forward periphery to provide generally rectangular grooves 6 and with the grooves 6 of the upper and lower sides of the cabinet being in opposed relation, while the grooves 6 of the ends of the cabinet are likewise in opposed relation. The cabinet is formed in any desirable manner and the peripheral grooves may be extruded however, the invention is not limited to the cabinet construction.

Frictionally engageable within each of the grooves 6 to be :llush with the open sides of the grooves are preferably extruded plastic trackways, indicated as a whole by the numeral 7. The trackways in all of the grooves 6 are identical in construction. Each of the trackways 7 are provided with side walls 8, and an intermediate wall 9 and a connecting horizontal web 10. The several walls 8 and 9 provide a pair of upper channels 11 and a pair of lower and relatively deeper channels 12. The web 10 in each of the channels 11 is provided with semicylindrical beads 13. Each of the walls 8 and 9 at their upper and lower edges are provided with inwardly diment. therewith; lWhile Patented Mar. 17, 1959 rected lips 14 and 15. The lips and each channel are in opposed relation and are spaced apart a predetermined distance that constitutesthe .guide for the glass closure panels 16.` The trackways that are disposed in the end grooves of the channel are arranged with jthe channels 12 of each end being -in opposed relation to form the vertical recesses thantj` receive the vertical edges-of the panels when shifted to their maximum position -at either end of the cabinet.y The trackways 7v are extruded in any-desirable length and jcut-in accordance with the par,- -ticular groove 6 in )jvhich it is -to be supported. The forming of-the trackway 7jo fplastic provides #a very desirable antifriction` runway for .the glass panels tand with the lower edgesof the panels'resting upon the beads lvwhere they will have relatively littlefrictional engagethe trackways may have a frictional engagementwithin thelgro'ove 6, it will of course be apparent thatotheijmeans may be employed to sup port. the trackways against displacement from the grooves. 20pm.

f 'Operation With the cabinet being in` assembled relation as illustrated, vertical sections of the trackways 7 are engaged within the end grooves 6 of the cabinet, with their channels 12 being in opposed relation. Sections of trackways 7 are then cut to extend for the full length of the upper and lower grooves 6 and whereby to have abutting engagement with the vertical sections. The trackways '7 for the lower groove is pressed downwardly to a firm seating engagement upon the bottom of the groove to the point where the upper lips are iiush with the marginal edges of the groove. The lower trackway 7 is arranged to have its channels 11 upwardly opening. The trackways 7 for the upper groove 6 is disposed within the groove in a similar manner, but with the channels 12 being downwardly opening and in opposed relation to the channels 11 ofthe lower track section. As before stated, the channels 11 are relatively shallow as compared with the channels 12. Glass panels 16 have their upper edges shifted to the innermost position of the upper channels 12 to a point where the l'ower edge of the panel over rides the lips 14, at which time the panel is lowered to rest upon the bead 13 and in such position, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2, the upper edges of the panels have guiding engagement in the upper channels 12. The outer panel 16 is then inserted in a similar manner, whereby the panels are supported in overlapping relation to be shiftable individually along the trackways. The

panels 16 may be provided with any desirable meansf whereby they may be engaged by the linger of the operator to freely shift the panels in either horizontal direction. The panels 16 as presently being employed, are in the form of mirrors.

It will be 4'apparent from the foregoing that a very novel form of trackway has been provided and whereby the trackway is reversible to constitute the recesses for both the upper and lower edges of the panel and also to constitute recesses for the reception of the vertical edges of the panels. The trackways are extruded in an economical manner and are easily assembled with relation to a cabinet or other supporting groove. The trackways require no lubrication and are free from rust or corrosion.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the' spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoned claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A reversible trackway for the upper and lower sliding support of glass closure panels, that comprises an extruded plastic track section that `is seated in grooves formed upon a cabinet device, the trackway being generally rectangular in cross-section, the trackway embodying spaced apart side walls and an intermediate wall and with the walls being parallel, the several walls being connected by a relatively thick integral web, the walls and the web forming upwardly and downwardly opening channels, the downwardly opening channels being relatively deeper, the upper surface of the web being provided with semicylindrical beads intermediate the width of each of the upper channels and whereby to form anti-friction bearing surfaces for the sliding support of the lower marginal edges of the panels, the side walls, the intermediate wall and the beads being parallel and extending for the full length of the trackways.

2. The structure according to claim l, wherein the upper and lower marginal edges of the walls are provided with right angled inwardly directed lips for their full length and with the lips being in opposed relation, the spacing of the lips delining the opening of the channels for the insertion of and guiding of the panels and whereby the panels traverse a path in spaced relation to the walls.

3. A trackway for a cabinet device whereby to slidably support glass panels of the type that constitutes a closure yfor the cabinet and wherein the cabinet is of the `type that is provided with a peripheral rectangular groove at its forward side, the trackway being extruded from plastic and with the tracks being engaged in the groove of the cabinet to form upper and lower parallel tracks and parallel tracks for the ends of the cabinet, the tracks being of identical construction, each of the tracks embodying parallel side walls and a parallel intermediate wall, the several walls being connected by a common web, the several side walls and the web providing `upwardly and downwardly opening pairs of channels, one pair of channels being relatively deeper than the other channels, antifriction beads formed upon the web in one pair of channels and projecting above the web for the sliding i reception of the lower marginal edges of the panels, the

upper track having its deeper channels downwardly disposed in opposed relation to the shallow channels of the lower track and whereby to receive the upper marginal edges of the panels.

References Cited 4in the le of this 4patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,494,161 Blackman v.. Ian. l0, 1950 

